The railroad crossing on Route 1 in Wiscasset. On Wednesday, March 5, the Wiscasset Select Board held a public hearing to gather thoughts on L.D. 243, a bill introduced by Sen. Rachel Talbot Ross, D-Portland, to name the railroad crossing the James Weldon Johnson Crossing in honor of the writer and civil rights activist. Johnson died in a vehicle collision at the railroad crossing in 1938. (Piper Pavelich photo)
Despite mixed opinions from residents, the Wiscasset Select Board voted to support a bill that aims to dedicate the town’s Route 1 railroad crossing to writer and civil rights activist James Weldon Johnson.
During a public hearing in the Wiscasset municipal building the evening of Wednesday, March 5, the select board heard testimony from over 30 residents and interested parties about L.D. 243: “Resolve, to Name a Railroad Crossing in Wiscasset the James Weldon Johnson Crossing.”
James Weldon Johnson, between 1900 and 1920 (LCN file)
The bill would direct the Maine Department of Transportation to permanently designate the railroad crossing on Main Street in Wiscasset as the James Weldon Johnson Crossing.
The hearing in Wiscasset followed a public hearing on the same topic held by the 132nd Maine Legislature Transportation Committee on Tuesday, March 4 at the State House in Augusta.
L.D. 243 was introduced in January by Sen. Rachel Talbot Ross, D-Portland, who was in attendance the March 5 public hearing in Wiscasset.
“This was a man who spent his entire life trying to move democracy forward in our country for all Americans; not for some, not for just Black people, but for all Americans. He believed in our democracy,” said Ross. “This was a patriot of the highest accord.”
Born in Florida, Johnson was an accomplished writer, lawyer, educator, consul, and leader of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. He is most commonly remembered now as the author of a poem turned song titled, “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing,” known as the Black national anthem.
He died when his vehicle was struck by a train at the Main Street railroad crossing in Wiscasset in 1938.
“His belief in the fact that America could be an integrated and pluralistic society is worth naming the railroad crossing for him,” said Melanie Edwards, Johnson’s great niece during the March 5 hearing. “It should lead people to a deeper understanding.”
Attendees of the March 5 public hearing were in consensus that Johnson was a remarkable figure, but some questioned dedicating the crossing to him, as he had no known ties to the Wiscasset community other than through his death.
“I guess I could make the argument that my great-grandfather was a wonderful man, my grandfather was a wonderful man, my father was a wonderful man, and they all took their last breath here in Wiscasset as well. So, I would say, where’s our memorial?” said Chet Grover.
Additionally, some pointed out that there is already a bench dedicated to Johnson in the town.
The Maine Legislature designated June 17, Johnson’s birthday, as James Weldon Johnson Annual Observance Day and established The James Weldon Johnson Observance Task Force in 2021. The bench was built by Heather Jones, a member of the Wiscasset Select Board and task force at the time, who spoke in favor of L.D. 243 during the March 5 hearing.
“He expected liberty and freedom in America to be a real thing, and he worked to make that ideal a reality,” said Jones. “Considering all he did to promote civil rights in this country, he might be one of the most important Americans in our time.”
The task force gifted the bench to the town and dedicated it to Johnson on June 17, 2022.
A bench in the Wiscasset common dedicated to James Weldon Johnson. In 2022, the James Weldon Johnson Observance Task Force gifted the bench to the town, which was built by Heather Jones, a member of the Wiscasset Select Board and task force at the time. The bench was dedicated to Johnson on June 17, 2022, his birthday and the town’s inaugural James Weldon Johnson Day. (Piper Pavelich photo)
“I don’t think it’s a matter of if this person deserves this or not, or if there’s a bench or not,” said Laura Mewa. “I really think it comes down to, how many memorials is one person going to have? We have a bench, now we’re going to potentially have a crossing, so next year are we going to have a street named and then a building? When does it end?”
Following almost an hour of discussion, the Wiscasset Select Board voted 4-1 to send a letter of support to the 132nd Maine Legislature Transportation Committee.
Select board member James Andretta voted against supporting the bill.
“Indifferent to my own opinion, it’s my duty to vote in favor of the residents,” he said.
In response to concerns about having multiple memorials for one person, the select board said the bench will be moved near the railroad crossing “to provide a united spot for reflection and contemplation.”
No matter their thoughts on the topic, residents and the select board agreed that this conversation opened the door to a larger discussion about honoring and memorializing people who contributed to the town Wiscasset is today.
“I think we need to purposely move forward to think about how we honor folks who we feel are deeply connected to this town,” said select board Chair Sarah Whitfield. “I think part of the opposition for some folks is that it feels like, ‘Well, we don’t honor anybody else but we’re honoring this other person,’ and so I feel like having those conversations and figuring out what is the most appropriate way to honor a lot of the folks that do have deep connections to Wiscasset is very appropriate.”
The next meeting of the Wiscasset Select Board is at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 18 at the town office.
Additional public hearings and work sessions for L.D. 243 have not been scheduled. For more information, go to mainelegislature.org.
From left: Wiscasset Select Board members Pam Dunning and Terry Heller and Sen. Rachel Talbot Ross, D-Portland, attend a public hearing at the Wiscasset town office on Wednesday, March 5 to discuss a L.D. 243, “Resolve, to Name a Railroad Crossing in Wiscasset the James Weldon Johnson Crossing.” (Piper Pavelich photo)
